Blog Posts and Analysis / Open, Accountable Government

Congress Could Save TRI from EPA's Chopping Block

Congress is expected to vote on an amendment this week that would save the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) from changes the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed in September 2005 and expects to finalize this December. The Pallone-Solis Toxics Right to Know Amendment to the Interior Appropriations Bill would prevent the EPA from spending money to finalize the proposals. The amendment is welcome news to environmental, public health, first responder, and labor groups, who have mounted a campaign to compel the EPA to drop its plans to reduce information on toxic pollution.

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Playing Politics with Government Contracts

Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Alphonso Jackson suggested at a forum in Dallas that federal contracts would not be awarded to those who have political disagreements with President Bush. He described a meeting with a contractor that was about to receive federal money until the contractor expressed his disapproval of the president. Jackson has since told reporters that he made the story up and that federal contracts are not awarded on the basis of political ideology.

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NSA Caught Spying Again

The National Security Agency (NSA), it was recently revealed, has been secretly amassing the largest database ever created on the telephone calling habits of millions of Americans. News of the data mining program comes as the NSA program of eavesdropping on international telephone calls without warrants remains unresolved, continuing to draw consternation and at times furor from both Congress and the public.

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Ray of Light Shed on Spying, Legislation Demands More Oversight

Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA) is harnessing the power of the purse string to challenge the Bush administration's self-appointed power of the wiretap. Specter has introduced a legislative amendment that would eliminate funding for the National Security Agency's warrantless spying program unless Congress is kept in the loop about the program's activities.

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Findings on Whales and Sonar Remain Murky

Two reports from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) with vastly different conclusions raise questions both about the connection between Navy sonar and whale beachings and about consistency within, and the scientific integrity of, the agency.

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National Archives Reclassification Revealed

An audit conducted by the National Archives estimates that more than 8,500 of the 25,000 (or nearly one-third of) records removed from the public shelves of the Archives should not have been removed.

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Path to Chemical Security Is Clear, But Overlooked

Approximately 284 facilities in 47 states have reduced risks to nearby communities from hazardous chemicals by switching to safer chemical processes or moving to safer locations, according to an Apr. 24 report by the Center for American Progress (CAP). Preventing Toxic Terrorism highlights the need for a national program to encourage thousands of other chemical facilities to become safer neighbors through the use of alternative, inherently safer chemicals and technologies.

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